Stars collide
by Naraya-Marjana
Summary: Dom's acting out of character. There is more to Brian than meets the eye. Mia takes matters into her own hands. The beginning is boring, and the ending is sappy. Now complete!
1. Chapter 1

Dom Toretto was afraid.

Back up a second. Hold it right there. That does not happen, does it? Dom, Dominic Toretto, a genius driver, the fearless leader of his team, a man who survived Lompoc – afraid?

Yep, you heard it, folks. Dom woke up regularly from nightmares too gruesome to mention. His body shivered each time he found himself in the proximity of the source of his fear. He looked over his shoulder as he walked down the street and it wasn't cops he was checking out for.

What could possibly frighten a man so determined, so controlled?

The answer is staring you in the face, people. It's the loss of control. When life overpowers you, what is left for you to do? What _can_ you do when the gravity center of your life is crushed into non-existence? Do you pick up the pieces and make the most of it? Do you fight to regain the control?

When the sheer desire to _feel_ is stronger than everything you know, everything you've ever known, stronger than every experience you have ever had in your life – do you succumb gladly, or go down kicking and screaming?

It is not an easy question and the answer is even more difficult. When you want to succumb, to let go of your essence in exchange for what you want the most in life – can you even think of resisting?

Dom Toretto did. He was sure he could handle it. It took him by surprise, of course, though it could happen to anybody. But he wasn't about to let this, this – oh, whatever! – he wasn't about to let _it_ waltz into his life and make a fool of him.

He would not abandon who he was, he would not change. Not for _him_.


	2. Chapter 2

Dear and patient reader, you must have been wondering what on earth was going on with Dominic? It was so out of character for him. He seemed to have lost his way. His team was already starting to look at him with questioning eyes. Mia was worried. And the new guy was walking around as if he owned the place, as if he actually belonged. But as long as Dom permitted him to do just that, the rest of them were powerless. Or were they?

Mia was chosen as the spokesperson for the anxious team. She picked her timing carefully, knowing her brother's dislike for any kind of interrogation. Yet matters had to be resolved, and quickly.

She found her window of opportunity one early morning, when everyone else was still asleep. The otherwise bustling house was quiet and she and Dom were in the kitchen. It was full of light from the rising sun. Dom, sitting at the table, was unusually thoughtful. Mia was doing the dishes. She kept glancing at him, trying to find the right words to start what was bound to be an awkward conversation. Suddenly, her frustration, and her temper, got the better of her and she abruptly turned around to face him.

"What's up with you, Dom? You are acting like I've never seen before. What's wrong?"

He was taken by surprise, but only for a moment. He risked a sideways glance at her and decided she was pissed off at him. Also, judging from the expression on her face, she did not expect a straightforward answer. So he didn't give her one.

"What do you mean?"

_Like talking to a child_, she thought. _An evasive one at that._

"I mean you haven't been yourself. It started about the same time Brian started coming here. What's up with that? Do you have some deal with him, or something?"

Dom so did not want to have this conversation. Mia was his little sister; there were some things you just didn't talk about with your sister. But she had given him a chance to vent his frustration. A rare opportunity for any leader.

"No, there's no deal. He… he makes me edgy."

"Dom, it takes more than one guy to make you edgy. Is he a cop? Has he found something?"

He got up and walked over, leaning on the counter next to her. "I wish things were that simple."

Mia had to do a double take. "That simple? Dom, you're my brother and God knows I love you, but you are starting to freak me out. What have you gotten yourself into?"

He just shook his head. He was tense, looking like it would take but a single word to trigger his fight-or-flight response. In Dom's case, fight being the more likely of the two. But the danger had nothing to do with the physical world.

_Not yet_, he thought.

Mia saw him thinking through whatever was bothering him and tried unsuccessfully to discover the truth behind the mask of silence he had put on. "Will you tell me or do I have to find out the hard way?"

"No." The answer was definitive.

"No, you won't tell me, or no, you will save both of us a lot of time?"

"The first." He was careful not to look at her. He did not want to give himself away. Mia had always known him better than anyone else had. She could sense it whenever he planned to do something really stupid.

_Like right now._

"Do you want to tell me but you can't?"

He grinned. _Perceptive, as always._ She was always concerned about him, and more than a little jealous of him being the most prominent figure in the lives of everyone she knew. But when things started to get messy, he knew he could always count on her.

He owed to her at least one small bit of the truth that was gnawing at him, eating away his resolve, stealing his breath.

"I want to tell the whole world."

He turned away from her then, walking out of the kitchen, taking his time, hoping she would jump to the right conclusion and take the whole matter off his hands.

She just stared at his retreating form. She had never seen him act this way. Not when he was fresh out of prison, not when he was sorting things out with Letty. Whatever got him all worked up, it was more than he could handle. Dom was really suffering from this, and obviously, he didn't want her help.

If she couldn't get through to him, maybe someone else could. Or maybe she could find out what the new guy was all about. If he had some secret power over Dom and the rest of them, he'd be more than happy to brag about it.

She'd just have to be patient and look after Dom until… until what? This problem seemed to have a life of its own and Dom was on a fast collision course with destiny. She'd just have to watch him closely and be ready to take action, for everybody's sake.


	3. Chapter 3

Mia may have thought she had plenty of reasons to be worried but it was nothing compared to how Dom felt. And the new guy, Brian? Was he a venomous snake or a mouse to be devoured?

As it happened, Brian had more idea than everyone else did about what was going on in Dom's head. Like he had said to Mia, Dom was a complicated guy. It was nothing short of an understatement.

Complicated, right. As if Brian hadn't seen lots of other _complicated_ guys. Some of them were relatively harmless, others he would not talk to unless they were in handcuffs. Being a cop and growing up where he did, things would have to be pretty shady if Brian couldn't sort them out. Or at least that was what he thought.

However, the Toretto guy was a different matter entirely. Brian was puzzled, at first, by his calm exterior. He looked like one of those strong, silent types women went crazy over. But when it came to protecting his family, his team, he wasn't reserved _at all_. He demonstrated courage, leadership, and strong ties to his team. His team, right. What was up with that? Did they just invite themselves into his life or were they invited, and welcomed?

It was just one of the questions that were going through Brian's mind the same morning Mia tried to get more than a two-word sentence from her reluctant brother. Brian wasn't as concerned about Dom's behavior, but he still wondered at some of his actions. It was obvious Dom had the power to dish out punishment to the misbehaving members of his team, and he used it, too. He was subtle about it, and he did not seem in the habit of holding a grudge. He had all the makings of an exemplary gang leader.

Suspicious behavior aside, the guy was pretty cool. He had a family and seemed capable of taking care of his family, a trait not often seen in average men. Not that Dominic was anything close to average. His physical strength alone was enough to set him apart. Brian would not want to be on the receiving end of his blows. It was just one of the reasons why he tried so hard to get in Dom's good graces.

Other reasons were less obvious, and Dominic himself was graciously oblivious to the most important one of all. Brian could remember quite vividly why he wanted to become a cop, and why he volunteered to go undercover. Preventing drug abuse and unnecessary killings, contributing to the society – each a noble cause in its own right – were sometimes overshadowed by Brian's appetite for adventure, speed, and adrenaline. However, the two sides of him were never in direct conflict with each other. He got more than enough action being a regular cop; going undercover was just a bonus.

And there were times when things seemed less clear. Sometimes when he woke up alone in the dark, he felt desolate. And sometimes when he took a girl home for the night and watched her leave his apartment the next morning, never to return, he wondered if there was a different life out there, just around the next corner, just over the horizon.

His fellow officers were the only friends he had. And they were good friends, there was no denying that. They risked their lives for each other every single day. They stuck together, like a family would. There was just one problem. There are some things you couldn't talk about, not ever. There was a side of Brian that had no place in his carefully ordered, yet haphazard world. A side that had been lying dormant for years, only to be awakened by the appearance of Dominic Toretto.

If truth were told, Brian's respect for Dominic bordered on admiration. The guy, criminal or no criminal, obviously lived by a code of his own making, and he seemed to stick to it no matter what. Others, who called themselves his team, followed the same code. It was a little island of sanity in the otherwise fucked up world. Having a family, having someone who would get you out of trouble every single time, had been a dream of Brian's ever since he could remember. The police force only helped you out of trouble as long as you played by its rules, by the rules called law, proper procedure, and discipline.

Brian saw no need for discipline in the garage where he now worked every day. Everyone listened to Dom, and obeyed him, but it was not as if he would ask them to do anything they didn't want to do. It was more instinctual, heartfelt. They all shared a passion for cars, fast cars. They were good enough to make money with street racing. It's true Dom did most of the driving, but as far as Brian could tell, it wasn't all about him. The rest of the team could drive just as well, or could at least build a car that went just as fast. It was a rare combination of talent and knowledge that allowed them to stay at the top of the game.

About one thing, and one thing only, Brian had no doubts whatsoever. Dominic in a ten-second car was a force to be reckoned with. There was no way an officer could lay his hands on Toretto if he decided to make a run for it. Brian hoped it wouldn't come to that. If he was forced to chase down Dom Toretto or any of his team, there was no telling where it might end.

It should have made him uneasy, this readiness to cast off his life as a law enforcement agent and embrace a new life as a part of Dominic's team. Instead of worrying why he felt the way he did, he spent time trying to unravel the mystery surrounding Dom and his entourage. He was telling himself he was trying to find whoever was responsible for the hijackings. If only he could hide from the fact that he was lying to himself. As a matter of fact, a few hundred thousand dollars of stolen goods were not his first and foremost concern anymore. What engaged him and captured his attention these days bore a different name and had far more appeal.

A pull as strong as gravity had begun to work its magic on Brian O'Conner, who called himself Brian Earl Spilner. All pretenses fell away, all the barriers built over the years were brought down, and he was just as defenseless as the next person in the vibrant presence of one Dominic Toretto.


	4. Chapter 4

Dear reader, we have learned Brian had already begun to fall in love with his mark. But Dom, in real life as well as on the streets, was way ahead of him. His desires and thoughts were not fully verbalized – which was fortunate as it resulted only in a very confused Dominic, while filling the realms of his affection for Brian with words would promote him to completely insane. But if the man's mind could speak for itself – that would make for an interesting confession.

Dom loved Brian. Simple as that. He longed, he yearned, he lusted, and he wanted very much to yield into each and every one of his secret urges. His love was running wild, causing mayhem and destruction. It was the beginning and the end of his day. Every second was brimming over with love, he felt it with every fiber of his being, he was positively vibrating with joy and, at the same time, going crazy with fear.

Stupid, unnecessary fear. Stupid because it was exactly like the fear of an infatuated teenager. What if Brian didn't want him? What if he didn't like spending time with Dom? What if he found out about the hijackings? What if Dom pushed Brian away because his family and his team were more important to him? What if he had to choose between Brian and his family? What if he had to choose between Brian and his own identity? Like he said, stupid. And unnecessary, because there was no chance in hell Brian would ever want the same thing.

The fear did nothing to diminish his desire for Brian. If anything, it only made matters worse. Dom had learned a lot about himself since meeting Brian. Like how he wanted things that were wrong and how he wanted them more than anything else. He also discovered he had more potential for good than he had ever dreamed.

It was an unsettling thing, this love. It had taken away everything he thought he was, it lessened his feeling of self-respect and obliterated every mistake he had ever made. It made Dom wish he could have been cleansed of all past, in order to be and feel worthy of Brian. It forced him to go down on his knees and pray for the impossible.

As if that weren't enough, other thoughts began to take shape. Long-repressed memories resurfaced. Sometimes in a form of a dream, sometimes in broad daylight. They were not pleasant. From his time in prison, Dominic had learned two things: that he never wanted to invite a man to his bed, and that he never wanted to be the object of another man's lust. Well, so much for going back on his word. The memories tortured him, showing him he was no better than those bastards he had met in Lompoc. Love didn't feel like a good enough excuse for wanting Brian so badly.

Love also changed the way Dominic viewed his team. He now saw how they all revolved around him, how they centered their lives around his own. They needed him more than he had realized. If he decided to take off, or changed his ways, what would it do to them? It would ruin them, that's what would happen. Letty would probably freak out. What girl wanted to learn her ex-boyfriend traded up to a guy? As if that weren't bad enough, starting a relationship with Brian would distance him from Vince, Leon and Jesse. He'd have to watch his every move from then on, not wanting them to feel awkward or getting the wrong idea.

And Mia? His baby sister would probably handle it better than everyone else would. Still, he didn't feel very comfortable with the prospect of having to explain himself to her. That was why he refused to tell her the truth the other day. And while he was still thinking through all this shit, time went on, Brian was in and out of the house every day, ever present, ever unreachable. Dom didn't know how much longer he could stand it. He even considered kicking Brian out, letting him understand he was no longer welcome. It would save Dom from the torture of having to watch Brian's perfect little ass every day and not doing anything to claim him.

Sometimes he felt like Brian was mocking him. Like he showed up every day just to let Dom know what he could never have. Taunting him, teasing him. If Dom didn't watch himself, he'd beat the buster up one fine day and then what? No Brian, no love, no nothing.

It was the biggest problem Dom had ever had to face. What if Brian didn't love him? And what if he did? What if by some miracle Brian actually fell for Dom, and everything got ruined after that? Dom didn't dare to think about it. It was what he feared the most, the possibility of having Brian and then losing him. He wasn't sure he could survive that one.

And still, time went on, slowly, cruelly. In the morning, every day seemed too long to live through, and proved to have been too short in the evening. Dom's desires and fears, all jumbled up, were his constant companions. He wasn't alive while Brian wasn't in his sight, and he hoped to die whenever they were together.

Dom tried to deny that he sought out Brian's company, he tried to be inconspicuous about it. He didn't know if he succeeded. The looks his team was giving him, and occasionally Brian, made Dom think they knew things weren't as they should have been. But nobody said anything, and the great dance of the unknowables continued inside Dom's head, sucking at his will to live, sapping his desire to survive. A world without Brian he could not imagine, and in such a world, he no longer wanted to live.


	5. Chapter 5

While Dominic was going through hell over not daring to make a move on Brian, you, dear reader, must have been asking yourself how exactly did Brian know what was bothering Dom. Did he perhaps have extensive experience in the area of human attraction?

Actually, he did. And the knack of knowing when someone was interested in someone else was just something he had picked up in his time before joining the police force.

It was an intuitive thing. Not many people Brian knew had ever experienced the feeling of simply knowing the truth. If he had told anyone, no one would have believed him. That's why he never called it _knowledge_, but rather guesswork.

How much did he guess, then? And what did he think of it all?

Now, the funny thing was he didn't have that much to guess from. Dom had never said as much as a word. He didn't even actually look _at_ Brian. Not ever. Not when they were talking, not while they were working side by side in the garage, not when he was leaving the house after a hard day's work. Dom looked _through_ him. However, Brian could always feel his eyes on himself. Even when Dominic's head was turned in the opposite direction.

It seemed to Brian that Dominic, for all his self-control and dominance over others, was leaking joy whenever Brian was around. It took the shape of either mockery or annoyance, but it was undeniably joy. And fear. And lust. And hatred.

Seeing this stirred a place somewhere deep inside Brian.

That did nothing to help him figure out what he should do about the whole situation. His mark falling in love with him had never been part of the plan. As Brian's understanding of Dominic's character grew, so did his reverence for the man. He tried to deny it at first, but it was to no avail. So he just gave in.

Brian found himself indulging in reliving the moments he had spent with Dom. It was an unconventional thing for an undercover cop to do. And in truth, it had nothing to do with his investigation.

It had to do with joy and lust, and fear and hate. All the things he had sensed under Dominic's façade.

Now hatred he could understand, and fear. There had been other people before Dom who hated and feared Brian. But this was something different. Other. It wasn't like Dom hated Brian for being Brian. The hate and fear had more to do with Dom himself than with who Brian was or what he did.

Lust, well, that one Brian could relate to. Ridiculously strong, though purely chemical. But joy? What joy was there to be found in Brian's presence in Dom's life?

Brian viewed his life as useful as long as he was working for the police. Sense of humor he brought with him whenever he went. And generally, he wasn't mean to people on purpose. If they nagged him, he gave as good as he got, but he never went looking for a fight just to get off on someone's pain.

What could possibly cause Dom to be happy about having Brian come over every day to rebuild cars? Brian wasn't – for the time being – anything but a nuisance. A buster who got his car – no, wait, Dominic's car – demolished.

So if Dom was getting pissed off on a daily basis by his own feeling of happiness, which was ultimately caused by Brian, there was only one possible answer to that particular question. A serious answer that Brian did not dare take lightly.

There was a still a possibility – slight, but distinct – he was wrong about the whole thing. But somehow, it didn't seem like that was the case.

Men like Dom, who kept their thoughts to themselves and were naturally chosen as leaders to their fellow men, didn't often find someone they could respect enough to actually develop any romantic feeling for that person.

Brian couldn't imagine Dominic falling in and out of love on a regular basis. If it happened, it probably went bone-deep, searing through all the layers of his life right down to the very core of his being. Brian had met men – and a few women – who were capable of falling in love in this fashion. Sometimes they were openly hostile when faced with the possibility of an unrequited love. Sometimes they got so mad at themselves for loving the wrong person they couldn't go on with their lives. Sometimes they devoted themselves to the object of their affection, regardless of the outcome. Sometimes they continued to love despite all the evidence the feeling wasn't mutual.

If Dom had that kind of an interest in Brian, it was still at its early stages. Not all of the signs were there yet. But Brian could feel it, brewing under the surface, deepening in meaning, gaining momentum.

Brian had learned about the reason Dom was sent to prison, first when he read the file, and then from Dom himself. He gathered it was the love for his father that made Dom lash out and permanently maim another human being. So Brian figured if Dom had already lost control over his actions because of love once in his life, he probably wasn't too thrilled about the chance of it happening again.

When two stars collide, they sometimes annihilate each other. Sometimes they fuse to become one. Sometimes there is collateral damage. If someone were to suffer lasting damage from the encounter, it would be Dom, not Brian.

Harming Brian wasn't on Dom's agenda. Probably.


	6. Chapter 6

Mia had had enough. Matters had been going from bad to worse. The peace in her household was no more, and she had no one to blame but her brother, who she worshiped and disrespected at the same time. She needed someone else to be at fault. And she decided Brian was the perfect candidate. So it was him that she went to in order to get some answers.

Brian was obliging enough to help her with the dishes one evening. He did it mostly to get away from Dom. And Mia decided that while the television was on in the other room, there was no chance of them being overheard.

After they were done dishwashing, she dried her hands on her apron, and turned to face Brian, all businesslike. His alarm went off the moment he looked her in the eye.

"Sit." He did.

"Now, start talking." Her voice was quiet, but firm.

"Oka-ay. I like your cooking." Brian had learned from experience that a compliment was the only safe course of action whenever a woman was mad at him for no apparent reason.

Only this time it was Mia Toretto he had to deal with, and she could see through him as if through glass. The ability seemed to run in the family.

"You know what is wrong with Dom."

She said it as a statement, not a question. If she were wrong, he'd just deny it. If she were right, he'd try to avoid giving her a straight answer.

"What makes you think that?"

Yes, she was right.

"Brian, do not play games with me. I am warning you. There is something going on with Dom and you know what it is. Tell me. Right. Now."

Brian shifted in his seat. What could he tell her? He knew what she wanted to know, of course. He felt a lurch in his stomach at the thought.

If Brian had learned anything in all his years of studying and training and working for the police, it was that offense was the best defense. However, bringing the truth out in the open all at once was risky, and he had no way of anticipating Mia's reaction.

She was still gazing at him, waiting for the explanation.

"You're going to think I'm crazy or making it up. But you wanted an answer, so here it is."

He swallowed, and then he spoke.

"I think Dom is… in love with me."

For a long while, she did nothing but stare at him. He could almost hear the wheels turning in her head.

For the most part, Mia was incredulous. Her brother in love with another man? Not a chance in hell. Yet Brian seemed so sure. And every _rational_ explanation made no sense whatsoever, and since Dom was acting crazy, it wasn't too hard to believe that another human being had managed to penetrate his shield of armor.

The fact that the said human was male instead of female would also explain why Dom had been so reluctant to talk about it. After all, if he had it in him to fall for a man, why hadn't it happened already? Why did it have to be this blond stranger who showed up out of the blue?

Brian sat stone still, waiting for her to form a coherent response. He looked so patient, so docile. For a moment, Mia could see exactly why someone would fall for Brian. All ice and cold on the outside, and fire and intensity on the inside.

Adding Dom to the mixture, you would get a combustible compound.

_Oh God, please don't let this destroy my family._

After finishing the silent prayer, Mia pressed on with the obvious next step.

"And what about you, Brian? How do you feel about him?"

This time, Brian lost his cool, and his thoughts took on a life of their own.

As an undercover police officer, Brian was used to paying attention to his environment, including the people who were potentially a threat, who could blow his cover – however inadvertently – and who could get too close. What he had not realized was how paying special attention to one person had shaped his perspective to the point where he started to empathize with his quarry.

While the object of his professional focus, Dom had also become the main source of the sentiments surrounding Brian. And since Dom harbored strong emotions for him – was madly, head-over-heels, jump-through-the-roof in love, Brian reciprocated. The response was automatic, invariable, ingrained into human nature through the millennia, allowing for a chance of survival in the most dire of situations – when the only person you could rely on was the enemy.

Brian became aware of this in a split second. Mia was still waiting. And Brian ignored her, pursuing the chain of events as it unfolded in his mind's eye.

A criminal and a cop falling for each other – it was an outrageous cliché, but in this case a very real possibility. If Dom was the one responsible for the thefts, Brian did not dare to think of the treachery he himself had already committed. He was sitting in a quiet little kitchen, after a fine meal, at the mouth of the enemy's lair – the enemy who had taken him in, given him work, family and love – and still Brian could not help but feel that he had put his job, his career, his whole life as a law enforcement officer in jeopardy.

Leading a double life had never appealed to Brian in general and even less so in the present situation. Given a choice between love and a socially acceptable form of success, which was he going to choose?

Mia had not taken her eyes off of him. The elusive answer to both her and Brian's question was written all over his face.


	7. Chapter 7

Brian fought for control over himself. In the swirl of thoughts and images, one desire stood out among the rest – he wanted, in that moment more than ever before in his life, to feel alive – he wanted to live while he still drew breath, and he did not want to wait for anyone's permission.

In one gigantic stride, he overcame his qualms and his fears, signing his past, present, and future over to something entirely unknown – and ultimately glorious.

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth – no matter how hard one tries. Inevitably, the answer to Mia's question was written all over Brian's face.

She saw as clear as day that he was in love with Dominic, even if he had not realized it up until this very moment.

Brian was on the verge of spilling his guts – though he didn't really know what to say – when he, once again, realized whom he was talking to.

The next thing he knew, he was mortified. He had found himself in the mother of all embarrassing situations – declaring himself to be gay, _and_ explaining to a dude's sister how he felt about him, all in the same breath. Brian thought he should have seen it coming, though.

He had never felt more awkward or out of place, and it held him tongue-tied.

He tilted his head back to look at Mia, and his helpless frustration was – just like his love – plain on his face. She decided that while she could not allow him to take the easy way out, she wasn't just going to stare him down. He needed an incentive – it might even help if he knew exactly what was at stake here.

"Do you love my brother, Brian? Because I do. Dom is the only family I have. I want him to be safe and I want him to be happy, even if I don't always agree with him. So if you're here to destroy that, you better start acting like the man you pretend to be, and tell me the truth."

Brian was too amazed to be insulted. There was obviously more to Mia than met the eye. Still, he did not want to admit to his weakness or his captivation – not in so many words. On the other hand, he couldn't argue with her when she put it like that. Didn't he want the same thing?

He took a deep breath. Trying to be inconspicuous about it and failing admirably, he dodged her question.

"What about Letty? She seems into him."

"Letty and Dom are history. After they broke up for the millionth time, they finally had the guts to call it quits. There's been nothing going on on that front since they were eighteen."

She paused only for a second.

"You are going to leave first thing tomorrow and never come back. It's either that or you tell the truth. To everyone."

It was insensitive, and she knew it, but it worked. Brian was brought up short by her blunt ultimatum and repaid in kind.

"What do you want from me, Mia? That I go and fuck Dom senseless, if that's what he wants, and be done with it?"

He was overstepping the boundaries, but for the moment, he did not care.

"You know your brother better than I do, so help me out here. Is he a one-night-stand kind of a guy or does he usually dedicate himself to a goal? 'Cause I sure as hell don't feel comfortable with him walking around and staring a hole into my backside. If I'm going to do this for real –"

He nearly choked on the last sentence, simply because he realized what a possibly huge mistake that could turn out to be.

"– I want to know what I'm getting myself into."

_Join the club_, was what Mia wanted to say, but thought better of it.

"What do you mean?"

"Is Dom as committed as he seems, or am I just imagining things?"

She was already one step ahead of him.

"He is committed. And he'll have the rest of us committed in a psychiatric hospital any day now if he goes on like that. I'm sick of the brooding, and the mood swings, and the cryptic answers. Did you know he yelled at Jesse yesterday just before you came in? He never yells at the kid. I swear he's worse than any adolescent girl about to lose her virginity."

Brian was thrown off balance by her choice of words. After the initial shock had worn off, he tried – with little to no success – to hide a smile.

"You would know about that sort of stuff."

Mia smacked him on the shoulder.

"Don't you start with me! Dom can't keep hurting himself and his family just because you caught his eye and he doesn't know what to do about it. Someone needs to set him straight, and since he doesn't listen to me, it's up to you."

Brian still wasn't sure it was such a good idea.

"Mia, I'm the last person he wants to talk to."

Mia crossed her arms decisively.

"Do you want me to tell Dom you're a cop?"

* * *

"_Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth," is attributed to Siddhartha Gautama Buddha._


	8. Chapter 8

Brian's blood turned to ice. Before he started to consider whether he had given himself away, he looked at Mia, actually glowered at her, wanting to discern the meaning behind her words. Was she threatening to get Brian in trouble by telling what she thought was a lie, or was she threatening to get Brian in even more trouble by blowing his cover?

At this moment, he did not know which was worse, losing Dom's affection because he was a coward who wouldn't own up to the fact that he was gay, or because he was a liar, who had wormed his way into Dominic's life and was even at that moment conspiring against him.

Mia had mistaken his silence for disbelief.

"I mean it, Brian. I am not above lying to Dom if that means you'll shoulder your responsibility."

Brian's head swam with relief and his thoughts went wild for the second time that evening. And once again, they centered around Dom.

A man who takes care of the ones he loves, a man who has so much to offer and gives it without holding back, who is responsible before himself and God for the lives of others, that kind of a man may grow harsh and uncaring, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. But not Dom.

Dom had retained kindness through the years and despite the trials he had endured. He was, for all his strength, a very gentle creature. Kind-hearted, with a good sense of humor, and in love. There was just something irresistible about a man in love.

It dawned on Brian that he had fallen for Dom, first and foremost, because of the love that had already existed. Although brand-new and terrifyingly sudden, it had waited for Brian to nestle in its middle, and he had done just that, becoming consumed with the mixture of respect and admiration, which had turned first into compassion, and then morphed into love.

That was the point of no return for Brian right there. Still sitting in the same kitchen chair, he gave in to his love for Dom, while Mia watched him with growing concern.

Right or wrong, Dominic was the one Brian wanted. Brian had never admitted this to anyone, but when it came to a relationship, he was all about devotion and reverence. He was loyal and submissive, wanting – though not needing – someone to rule over him. He wanted to please and, as a reward, be taken care of. And he had met his match. Like water becomes vapor when the fire gets too close, so did Dom set Brian free. For the first time in his life, Brian figured he could be himself. Adrenaline and a good night's sleep, wild rides and a prayer before dinner, it was exactly what he had been looking for, and he wanted it, he wanted it all.

If he could just manage to convince Dom it was all all right, he might even have a chance of getting what he wished for. If he could pull off this daredevil attempt to seduce Dominic, his life would be just about perfect.

There was no chance in hell he was going to pass up on Mia's offer.

In the rush of his excitement, he had forgotten he was supposed to be working for the police.

He spit out a single-word answer.

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, I'll talk to him."

Mia was wary. Brian had not been himself tonight. If she had thought Dom was in over his head, Brian was doubly so. They deserved each other all right. The same vacant expression, the same lack of consideration for their surroundings – she could only hope things would improve once they were together. She had not been entirely serious, accusing Brian of being a cop, but it had seemed to work better than she could have imagined. He seemed all too willing to cooperate now.

Brian wasn't done talking yet.

"And you're right. I love –"

He struggled for words so hard that Mia couldn't help but feel an unexpected wave of sympathy for him. _Too bad he's gay._ She pushed the thought aside.

" – I love him. If you're sure about this –"

"I'd better be, or Dom will never forgive me for interfering with his love life." She grinned, trying to diffuse the tension. Brian had obviously reached his limit. Saying the words out loud had been the last straw.

After a moment of silence, he spoke up, joking.

"Just remember that if he beats the living daylights out of me, I'll be holding you responsible, Mia, not him."

She felt the need to reassure him.

"It won't come to that."

Brian did not look convinced, but he took it as his cue to leave. As he began to get out of his chair, he remembered there was one more thing he had to ask.

"How do you think the others will handle it?"

Feeling a smidge guilty because of the change she had provoked in Brian, Mia had already decided she was going to smooth the path for her brother and his soon-to-be lover.

"_I_ will handle _them_. Letty will help. Does that mean we have a deal, Brian? You'll really talk to Dom, get it out in the open?"

Brian nodded and hurried to get out of the house, not bothering to say goodnight to anyone but Mia. He did not have the strength to face Dom after what had just happened.

As soon as he was walking down the street, away from the house – away from Dom – something occurred to him: Dom wasn't the only Toretto who knew how to rule the lives of others. Mia was just as capable of pulling an intervention for her brother, as Dom was of gathering and keeping together a group of strangers who called themselves his family.

With any luck, they would soon be Brian's family, too. If Dom didn't kick his ass for his impudent behavior.

The last involuntary thought that crossed Brian's mind that night was both silly and full of meaning. _As it turns out, girls aren't the only ones who fall for the strong and silent type._


	9. Chapter 9

Dear and talented reader, it's time we turned our attention to Dom, who was – in those unending days before the conversation he was supposed to have with Brian but was unaware of – still a lost man. His love for his family was at war with his ever-growing yearning for Brian, and when such powerful forces meet, something's got to give. What gave way was Dominic's heart, as he had no idea that his sister had taken the necessary steps to put him out of his misery.

Misery was the keyword to describe Dom's inward and outward appearance as he observed Brian repairing and rebuilding high-speed vehicles – and it killed him, every day, bit by bit, it killed him not to reach out and grab a handful of Brian's hair, kiss those impossibly blue eyes and –

There was no "and". There would never be an "and". Dom had resolved that he would make sure of that, and he stood by his decision, even as he felt like his skull would crack and his innards would explode if he didn't get to hold Brian right this instant.

– _and lose myself in their depth. I want to drag you to my bed and bring you to the edge of death, and back again._

Passion. And pain. Always pain. For the distance between them, for not meeting Brian sooner, for not being able to leave with him and start a new life somewhere else.

It spoke volumes that Dom wouldn't mind having his way with Brian on a hood of whichever car was in the garage at any given time. He was, as a rule, opposed to having sex anywhere near his beloved machines. It had something to do with the respect he felt for his work, with the care and the trouble he had taken to build a high-performance car. Other than that, you could not drive your car at full speed in order to earn some serious cash while you were daydreaming about what had happened in – or on – the said vehicle once upon a time.

So much had changed. Once, Dom had known who he was. He had known he had a home, a family, a way to live. Now he had nothing – nothing! Nothing had changed, he didn't lose any of those things, but it all meant nothing, nothing, nothing without Brian.

_I want to breathe in every time you exhale; I want to sing you to sleep – though I can't sing at all – and drink in your tears. I want to get under your skin, drive you insane, and kiss you goodnight. I want to wake up every morning in your arms, take you to dinner, and feed you with my fingers._

Being a sensual man and a natural caretaker, Dom fantasized about taking care of Brian. Brian's head in his lap, Brian cuddling up to him in the night, Brian begging for more ... Brian, always Brian. Blue eyes, blond hair, lithe body, nondescript clothes. All buster.

Watching Brian, who was now a constant presence in Dom's home, did nothing to diminish the craving. Waiting for Brian's laughter, his attention, and his closeness – it only served to make Dom feel much worse. He longed for all things Brian, even while the object of his desire was within his grasp.

_I want to give you everything you want and take for myself everything you have to give. I want to see you smile at me because you think I'm the most perfect, wonderful, gorgeous creature on the face of the earth. Because I think the same of you._

Dom felt himself designed and created for the sole purpose of loving Brian, holding him close and caressing every inch of his skin right down to the most sensitive and ticklish parts. He wanted to hear Brian speak his name with the same ardor Dom felt building inside.

_I want every part of you. I want to make you beg me to fuck you properly or let you die. I want to scream your name as I come. I want you to scream my name as you come._

At the same time, the stupid voice of fear inside Dom's head would not shut the fuck up.

_What if I don't deserve you? What can I do to make you fall for me that I have not already done? Even worse, what will I do if you actually do love me? What if I overreact, what if I show too much feeling, and it repulses you?_

To add insult to injury, Dom kept telling himself it was just not right, falling in love with someone he had only met weeks previous. That it put everyone in danger. Brian was still a stranger to most of the team, he could not be trusted, and all of a sudden, Dominic wanted to go to bed with him and stay by his side forever? Maybe it could work – if you lived in a fairy tale.

While Dom was adamant that he would not try and seduce Brian, he couldn't resist thinking about it. He indulged in it, he relished it. The worst part of it was that he always got lost in his imaginary world of sensation before he could even picture Brian fully unclothed. He wondered when his mind had become so chaste.

_I want to break you, crush you, beat you up, and then grovel on my knees for your forgiveness. I want my life to be all about you and your life to be all about me. I want to die in your arms or let you be reborn in mine._

At times, Dom was a little put out at his thinking of death as often as he did of love. As a man who had caused serious – not to mention permanent – damage to another human being, he cringed away from all uncontrollable tendencies that his mind – he did not want to say his heart – could conjure up. However, this love was, if anything, beyond control.

_If you don't want me, I swear I'll kill myself and haunt you in your sleep. I'll give you – not nightmares, but the sweetest dreams you have ever had. And when you die, I want to be the first person to welcome you on the other side._

He should have realized a long time ago that the real danger did not lie at the end of a quarter of a mile, but in the hands of a coincidental stray who had come into Dom's life just like everyone else had, but had changed him for all eternity. This love would not, could not, fade away.

_I will love you in this life and in the next. I promise. I promise._

Therein lay the peril of loving someone. He couldn't turn it off.


	10. Chapter 10

You, who have faithfully followed the unfolding of the story, do not let your endurance waver. Mia was taking the arrangement she had come to with Brian most seriously, and she was not one to stand idly by. Before Brian could even begin to think about how to approach Dom on the subject of their mutual attraction, Mia had already spoken to Letty. As an ex-girlfriend, Letty took it pretty well, and as a result, she cornered Dom the next day and gave him a piece of her mind.

Not that he was willing to listen.

"I want you to stay out of this!"

"Dom, I can't keep my mouth shut and watch you destroy yourself!"

"I say you can!"

"I'm not one of the guys, you can't boss me around like you do Vince or Jesse!"

If looks could kill...

"And I won't be intimidated by that famous frown of yours, either."

He shook his head in exasperation.

"Will you listen to what I have to say or do I have to go get Mia?"

Dom gave her the I-hope-you're-kidding look, but didn't respond. Letty took it as a sign that he would at least not walk out of the room while she was still speaking.

"After we broke up for the fourth time –"

"Fifth." He counted their breakups more closely than she did. That particular breakup was questionable because Dom, who had been doing the breaking up, had changed his mind halfway through the conversation.

"I say fourth, deal with it. So after it was over between us, I figured there was some greater love for you, and me, out there. I used to think I'd die if you found it first, but now I don't care about that anymore. I just want you back the way you were, the normal version of you, Dom. This obsessing over how you can't go out with a guy is getting old real fast. And you're getting on my nerves. You're not the same, Dom. You're losing focus. Hell, you don't even drive the same way as before you met Brian."

She was right about that. He could no longer race his car with the same bold contempt for defeat. And it was starting to show in his performance.

Still, no need to let her know he was in agreement. He was in no mood to play nice.

"So I say you need to find out if he's got the hots for you or not. If not, you'll be heartbroken and we'll all be there for you, and we'll put up with your shit until you get over it. If he's into you –"

She stopped talking, because she was startled, and more than a little frightened, by the expression on Dom's face. He looked like he was in agony. After a few moments to gather her wits, she went on.

"If he's into you, I don't really see the problem. So if you think there is one, you say it now before you make the biggest mistake of your life that you are going to regret forever."

He was silent for a long while, just standing still, not looking at her. She was beginning to think he had forgotten she was even there.

When at last he opened his mouth, his voice was tight – as if he were in pain.

_He probably is_, she thought.

"How do you suppose this could all work out? I am not my own man, Letty. I have a family I'm responsible for, and even if Brian was one of us –"

"Bullshit."

Letty had always considered herself the one person who could stand her ground with Dom. She suddenly discovered she might be wrong, as he turned on her, fuming and belligerent.

Nevertheless, she persisted. If Dom wanted to be mad at her, she wanted to have thoroughly earned it.

"Dom, you're making the classic mistake. You're making yourself choose between Brian and the rest of us. Has it never occurred to you that you could have both?"

Millions of people before Dom had been caught up in the illusion that they could either have the person they wanted, and live with just that person happily ever after, or else they would be stuck in their present day-to-day life, mourning the absence of their beloved.

Dom knew this, but he thought of his situation as different from all others. He was, for want of a better phrase, on the wrong side of the law. He never stopped to regret it, but then again, the only people who knew about it were the ones he trusted implicitly. After all, Vince had said many times that Brian was a cop. Dom wasn't so sure of that, but he wouldn't risk telling Brian the truth – just in case.

Loving Brian, wanting to be completely and absolutely honest with him, was the exact opposite of Dom's self-imposed secrecy.

The secrecy was necessary; the love was irrevocable. What a hassle.

And now Letty was telling him it was all right, encouraging him to take the plunge, take a chance on Brian. Curiously enough, she had not explained how she knew about the whole affair.

"How did you get mixed up in all of this?"

"Mia told me. I think she was only guessing, but I saw straight away that it was the only possible explanation. You've been downright obnoxious ever since Brian showed up."

He chose to disregard the last comment.

"Mia's okay with this?"

"Sure."

"You okay with this?"

"Hell yeah."

He swallowed before speaking.

"What about the guys?"

"I don't think they know yet. Vince will probably have a hard time stomaching it, but he'll forgive you. Leon admires you too much to argue. I don't know about Jesse. He'll probably resent you. He's been your favorite since you and I broke up. Before that, I remember being your favorite. I guess none of us was enough for you, were we?"

"I'm sorry."

He sounded sincere. And Letty could no longer be angry with him.

"Well, we can't help who we fall in love with. That's what Mia told me whenever I cried over you. It didn't help much, but it's still true. Besides, we're a team. We stick together. If you trust Brian, if you want him, I'll make sure that they back you up, or at least stay off your back."

In Dom's mind, she had a better chance than anyone else of pulling it off.

"I can't thank you enough, Letty."

"Yeah, you can. Teach me how to beat you in a race." She grinned at him.

"I hope you know that's not going to happen, ever." The half-smile on his face reminded her of the time before Brian had come along.

"Oh, well, it was worth a shot."

She was already headed for the door, when she turned around and said, "Dom, do you see yourself being happy with Brian?"

Dom retorted not giving it a second thought.

"I'm already happy."

"You sure? You don't look happy to me."

"Just knowing him makes me happy."

"Oh man, you've got it bad."

Giving him a wry smile, Letty finally strolled out of the room.

Dom was left alone, stuck between a rock and a hard place – somewhere between hope and despair.


	11. Chapter 11

It was a particularly hot day and Brian was standing in the garage, looking at the cars – or wrecks of cars – and not seeing them. He was thinking about the deal he had made with Mia. Getting Dom to talk about something he didn't want to talk about seemed like a dangerous endeavor. Brian was quite sure that after the first words were spoken, anything could happen. A sudden chill caused him to shudder.

He heard a sound of someone coming in and turned around to see who it was.

_Think of the devil and the devil shall appear._

Dom walked in, looking for all the world like he couldn't care less whether Brian was there or not. The look he gave Brian out of the corner of his eyes lasted just a fraction of a second too long.

Brian swallowed convulsively.

Dom walked past him and stopped in front of a car – Brian did not register which car it was – and popped the hood, leaning forward to get to work.

Various images sprung to Brian's mind due to this simple, yet suggestive move.

_No time like the present._

"Hey, Dom, Mia says I should talk to you about something."

"Then she should talk to me herself."

"No, this is strictly between you and me."

Dom straightened up, slowly. The sound of the hood being shut with too much force – more than was strictly necessary – was ominous to Brian.

_Please God, don't let him be saying what I want him to say._

Dominic's silent prayer went unheeded.

"Dom, I've seen the way you look at me, and I just want to say that it's f–"

Dominic forcibly tuned out Brian's voice. He did not want to hear what Brian had to say. Before he knew what he was doing, he was already out of the garage and in his car, revving down the street.

Brian stayed behind, unable to move. He had been prepared for anything but this.

_That's what a worst-case scenario looks like._

He did not feel comforted by the thought. He had a sneaking suspicion that the nightmarish part was only just beginning.


	12. Chapter 12

Dominic didn't come home that day. He spent it in turmoil, just driving around, tormented by the workings of his ceaseless mind.

If he had not run away, Brian would have been in his arms by now. The idea tortured him, mocking his efforts to maintain self-control, and reared its ugly head every time he thought he had beaten it into the ground.

He felt guilty for forsaking what might have been the chance of happiness, especially when it had been so close, and yet was relieved that he had not had to suffer what would probably have been a humiliating rejection.

_Not probably, definitely,_ he mentally corrected himself.

On that day more than any other, it was a dreadful thing to be in love, and Dom had no one but himself to blame.


	13. Chapter 13

Brian woke up in the middle of the night to see Dom standing next to his bed.

_Finally._

He propped himself up on one elbow and reached out his other hand in a gesture of invitation, and Dom knelt on the bed, leaning over Brian. He held Brian's face in his hands like it was the most precious, breakable thing in the world.

Dom let out an animalistic growl of satisfaction before his mouth was suddenly on Brian's, urgent and hungry, and Brian's breath was cut off. His body went limp and they tumbled down on the bed.

Brian woke up with a start in the middle of the night. The dream had been so real. If only it had not ended too soon.

If only it had not been a dream at all.


	14. Chapter 14

A couple of days later, in the late afternoon, Brian found himself alone in a deserted house – except for Dom, who happened to be in the living room, staring into thin air and seeing nothing.

Brian, still brooding over the previous night's dream, got really pissed off the moment he laid eyes on Dominic, and his words came out harsh.

"Dom, we need to talk, and don't you dare run away from me again."

It was all it took for Dom's temper to flare. One moment he was stretched out on the couch and the next, he had punched Brian in the face. The blow should have knocked Brian to the floor if Dominic hadn't grabbed the front of his shirt and kissed him in earnest.

Exultation rippled through them, fresh and so strong it felt like pain.

Brian pulled back, blood ringing in his ears. More was coming his way, it seemed, as he was shoved against the wall.

Dominic simply stared at him for one infinite moment. To Brian, it seemed that any pleasure Dom might have experienced because of their kissing, was either carefully concealed, or totally absent.

"If you tell anyone, I'll kill you."

Dominic's voice was even lower than usual, constricted with emotion Brian could not define.

Meeting Dom's gaze, Brian felt hot words rise to his lips as if of their own accord.

"You already do kill me."

Holding back any reaction Brian's reply might have triggered, Dom left the room and took for the stairs, two at a time. Running, again.

Brian was dumbstruck, feeling like a fool. He massaged his jaw, which still hurt a little. He heard the slamming of the door upstairs and chuckled without humor.

Dominic was truly testing his patience for all it was worth.


	15. Chapter 15

All things must come to an end, and so did Dom's hesitance. Once he realized exactly what Brian had meant about 'killing him', Dom was positively bursting with energy, believing at long last that he may yet find his happiness and salvation.

It was in this state of mind that he approached Brian the following day.

The team was leaving the garage after a hard day's work. Brian was the last in the exodus, deciding – against his better judgment – that staying behind with Dom, as appealing as it was, was not worth the risk of getting a black eye.

Dom, however, wasn't about to let a perfectly good opportunity of some alone time with Brian go to waste. His courage had been a long time coming, and he wasn't ready to waste it.

"Brian! Wait up."

The blond turned around, with his hands in his pockets, wearing the expression of the utmost annoyance. Dom wasn't swayed.

"You were right, we do need to talk. Or better still –"

Walking up to Brian, Dom ever so slightly dipped his head to bring his mouth to Brian's. It was the simplest of kisses, stirring neither the body nor the mind. Brian didn't realize what was going on until it was over, and then he cursed himself for his stupidity and long reaction time.

Dom was staring at him, his brown eyes deepening in color as he concentrated.

"You can have that, and more, for the rest of my life. Unless I'm too late and you have changed your mind."

Brian needed only a second to work out what Dom was saying, and was grateful to his lucky star that he was quick to respond with a similarly convoluted sentence.

"Do that again, and it won't be too late."

The second kiss was everything Brian had ever experienced, and more. There was lust, and joy, but no more fear, no more hatred. Dom was practically radiating with elation, basking in the glory of his wish's fulfillment. And Brian was drowning in love, his desire for it increasing by the second, and yet more of it kept coming, overflowing him, satisfying him no matter how ridiculously greedy he became.

It was their first kiss, given not out of desperation or a sense of insecurity, but of love, a shining, brilliant love.

Brian felt branded with their kiss – the first of many – and rightfully so.

What he wanted was to belong, to be brought down on his knees and forced to accept that Dom owned him, inside and out. In that moment filled with nothing but love, it did not seem like a sacrifice at all. Giving himself over to another man was, to Brian's eyes, exactly that – an act of giving, a gift to be treasured and enjoyed. Brian had no doubts at all about Dom being well capable of treating him as such a gift, of taking possession of Brian and ensuring that his sacrifice had and would forever have a meaningful purpose.

In order to love, one must be alive, and breathing. Eventually they drew apart, gasping.

"Oh my God, that was even better than the dream."

Brian spoke aloud, not realizing it until Dom gave him a quizzical look.

"Excuse me?"


	16. Chapter 16

"Excuse me?"

Dom's voice carried a hint of injured pride, masking the triumph within.

"Does that mean you've been dreaming of me, O'Conner?"

Brian didn't even think of dignifying Dom with an answer, but instead, in order to hide that he had turned into a pile of mush, he asked a question of his own.

"So you _are_ in love with me?"

Dominic, pleased with himself and even more so with Brian, was ready to give the buster anything he might ask for. However, used to being the authoritative figure in everyone's life, he saw Brian's bold reply as a challenge, and his lover as an adversary. Not that he would dream of purposefully hurting Brian – the punch in the face the other day had been nothing but acting out his passion like a caged animal would – he just liked being in charge.

"Are you defying me, Brian?"

"Is that a yes?"

The look on Dom's face now clearly said, _Fight me! If you dare_.

Brian opted for the path of least resistance. Putting Dom in his place was promising to be as much fun as it sounded, but it was going to have to wait.

The third kiss was entirely new. The feel of Dom's mouth on Brian's was angry and ruthless. As if all the hunger and frustration had erupted with a vengeance; as if the touch had been denied to them for more than one lifetime. It ended abruptly – with a bite – and Brian tasted blood in his mouth. His lower lip was bleeding.

Dom looked both happy and arrogant at the same time, which is a curious thing to manage under the best of circumstances. Brian, for some unhealthy reason, found him irresistible.

"That's a yes," Dom confirmed.

Brian wanted to say something in response, but Dom did not wait to hear him out and kissed him just as violently as before. Brian also suddenly realized that Dom had wrapped his arms around him, holding him in place using every ounce of his strength.

A weaker man would have been crushed by that kind of embrace.

Panting for breath, Brian broke free and for a moment, he thought Dom was going to protest, but he only found himself being pulled back into the somewhat gentler version of the hug.

And so the dance continued.

The juxtaposition of limbs and movement – Dom's hands on Brian's hips, Brian's arms around Dom's torso, the fervent kissing – was next to chaotic. Dom thought he had the upper hand, but the sudden initiative on Brian's part drove him into a near frenzy.

_At last, he's mine._

The words were not meant to be spoken, yet they were plain.

Sometime during their feigned battle for dominance, they somehow got undressed. All of a sudden, there was no telling where one body ended and the other began.

It felt as if all the power of the world was theirs for the taking, and take it they did. Being utterly, devastatingly, blissfully lost in one another was their only aim, and time stood still, honoring their appeal, making the rest of the world deaf to the sound of their cries.

It was the only proper way to live, it was meant to be. Never before, or after, had Brian felt so sure of it. If there had been any room for thought left in him, he would have wondered at his capacity to feel both blessed and tortured at the same time.

Dom's experience wasn't so different. Disoriented, filled with grace, he gave into his own pleasure, not longer feeling the earth beneath his feet. It was the supreme moment of being, a time when all things came to an end, creating the universe from scratch.

When two stars collide, nothing stays the same. They had finally found each other, having traveled years and immense distances to this place and time, and it was everything they had been hoping and waiting for.


	17. Chapter 17

Eventually, they stood still, motionless but for their labored breathing, all sweat and no bones, coming to terms with what had just happened.

Brian was the first to open his mouth, and what he said was far from what Dominic wanted to hear.

"I am really glad you didn't break my jaw."

Trying to keep up with Brian's train of thought, Dom couldn't think of a witty reply. He settled for satisfying his curiosity.

"Yeah, why's that?"

"Because I'd be really mad at your sister if you had. It was her idea that I go talk to you."

"Just talk?"

A raised eyebrow was all it took to make Brian blush. Not to be outdone by Dom's superior calm, he struggled to recover his composure. He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Nuance."

Dom chuckled, closing his eyes, delighting in the feel of their lingering intimacy.

"She has no limits when it comes to protecting you, Dom. And neither do I."

The words came out sounding like a pledge, or a vow.

Dom looked at him from behind half-closed eyelids and a sly, but affectionate smile spread across his face.

"Buster."

"Love you, too." The sarcasm of the statement was entirely weightless.

Those were the words Dom had been waiting for. He surprised even himself when he pressed his lips to Brian's forehead. The kiss would have been condescending, if not for its tenderness.

The simple gesture seemed so uncharacteristic of Dominic, it was Brian's turn to laugh. Only he didn't laugh, he giggled – a sound you would not expect from a full-grown man. It pushed Dom over the edge, causing him lose the grip on his self-control, and he roared with laughter.

It happened to be Brian's favorite sound in the whole world.

As the quiet settled once more over the two lovers, Brian discovered he had one more thing to say.

"You know what, Dom? You're one big softy."

"If you tell anyone, I'll break your neck," came a prompt response.

Brian grinned wickedly. This chance was too good to pass up.

"You should wait till after I tell everyone you admitted it."

And for once in his life, Dominic conceded defeat. It was as deliciously sweet as any victory.


End file.
